October 4, 2013 - submitted by The Oracle, United Kingdom

Q. WHO'D LIKE TO JOIN TEAM ORACLE?

As you may know, we have a weekly feature, Team Oracle, whereby each Friday we open questions of a personal nature to all of you to answer too. Then, the following Friday, I post a selection of the best answers, alongside my own reply.

ANYONE can join in so, if you'd like to, please email your response to the following question, in no more than 250 words, to theoracle@coldplay.com before midnight Thursday 10th October.

I'm a teenager, and for a very long time now, I have suspected that I've got OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. I do a lot of things that I don't understand, have my own explanations for, and sometimes I do it by habit. When I do something differently or do a mistake, no matter how small it might be, it feels wrong in a way that sort of aches, and sometimes I get an anxiety attack. There are times when I feel really down, and on some occasions, it has caused me to shut down and go almost emotionally numb.
But my main issue is not really knowing. I've done a lot of research, but making a diagnose yourself only gets you so far. I'm also very worried that I'm not really sick, but I'm just telling myself that I am. I need to know. I can't possibly tell my parents because I know they can't handle it.
I've been doing this and even more things since I was a kid, so if they would have done something they would have done it ages ago.
I don't know what to do. How I feel I can handle. The music and animals surrounding me help me snap out of things, but what kills me is not knowing.
Can you please help me?
Eli, Sweden.